Seahawks defensive lineman named breakout candidate for 2025 NFL season

The second offseason under Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has been drastically different than the first. While last year, it appeared the team was just trying to maximize its talent, Seattle has undergone massive chances since the 2024 season ended.

The offense has three new quarterbacks in Sam Darnold, Jalen Milroe and Drew Lock. Defensively, the team kept its core intact while adding veteran edge DeMarcus Lawrence and drafting safety Nick Emmanwori in the second round.

These new additions are always fun to talk about, however, the progress of first-round pick Byron Murphy is something to keep an eye on. The second-year defensive lineman didn't exactly dominate as a rookie in 2024 but displayed good upside as a pass rusher.

Pro Football Focus thinks Murphy is on the verge of a breakout season for the Seahawks in 2025.

"The Seahawks grabbed the top interior defensive lineman in the 2024 draft with the 16th overall pick, but his rookie year was a relatively quiet one with just a half-sack to his name on 244 pass-rush attempts," wrote PFF's Jonathon Macri. "Expect a larger role for Murphy in Year 2, where he should be able to highlight more of that pass-rush upside that allowed him to deliver a 91.5 pass-rush grade in his final college season and 20.3% win rate on true-pass-sets, the seventh-best mark for his position in 2024."

Murphy was hyped up as one of the few blue-chip defensive players entering last year's draft. He did miss time due to a hamstring injury, which could have hindered him more than he let on.

The former Texas standout is surrounded by plenty of talent and depth as he enters his second season. The Seahawks just re-signed defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins. Aside from adding Lawrence, they also brought back talented linebacker Ernest Jones IV.

Defensively, Seattle has the makings of an elite unit. Murphy turning the corner could potentially be what puts the defense over the top in 2025.